Carton



I Sept. 15, 1936. T FORD I r 2,054,596

CARTON Filed May 51, 1955 Imventon WMQ attorneys Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES CARTON Thomas Latimcr Ford, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Bartlett Hayward Company, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application May 31, 1935, Serial No. 24,404

7 Claims.

, This invention pertains to boxes or cartons designed primarily to hold and enclose a plurality of units of merchandise of a fixed size and character, and from which one or more units may be ,5; removed, from time to time, the carton being again closed and restored to its position on the shelf from which it was withdrawn.

The main object of the invention is to provide, as a portion of the carton, an element which may be brought into masking position with reference to a numeral appearing on the carton indicating the number of units initially packed in the carton, and at the same time to present a surface upon which may be placed a numeral indicating the number of units remaining within the carton after removal of one or more of such units.

Considering piston rings as the boxed merchandise, it may be said that all boxes are shipped from the factory with the number of rings and the 2 size thereof shown on one face of the box, as for example, 12 3%,+.010 and such other matter as may be descriptive of the ring characteristics, as for instance the word Compression. Such boxes are usually stacked upon shelving, with the ring legend or designation exposed.

Automobiles, as is well known, Vary as to the number of cylinders, usually four, six, eight and twelve, and it is an item of considerable expense to box the various ring sizes with the exact num- 30 ber of rings for each model, such procedure requiring different size boxes, distinctive markings thereon, and the further item of packing the rings in the boxes. Hence, it is'generally the custom to pack the higher number of rings 35v in each box or carton and for the salesman or jobber to remove the desired number, close the box and return it with the remaining rings to the shelf, the box still showing the original index number, say 12. Such showing is, of course, misleading and results in confusion and complaints.

The box of the present invention presents a simple and inexpensive expedient whereby the party removing a, number of the rings may readily cover the indicia of the total number of rings originally packed in the box, and have a surface upon which may be written, if desired, the number of rings remaining in the box. It is, of course, preferable to indicate the number rather than to merely cover over the original number, but in the broader sense of the invention, the subsequent indication is not absolutely essential.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box or carton with one end open and the indicia of the number of rings which the box is designed to hold, say 12, exposed upon one side thereof;

Fig. 2, a similar view showing a finger outturned from one of the box flaps and overlying the'numeral 12, or its equivalent, and having its end passed inwardly through a slot or opening in the side of the box or carton;

Fig. 3, a perspective view of a portion of a box or carton showing a slight modification of the means to hold the free end of the flap or a portion thereof when it is turned outwardly over the indicia; and

Fig. 4, a similar view of a further modification.

. InFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the enclosin 15 structure is shown in the form of a pasteboard box or carton of the usual type, comprising a bottom I; a top 2; side Walls 3 and 4; main end flaps 5 and 6, and also the side flaps, at one end of the box only, one of which is denoted by l and 20, the other of which is present in three sections 8,

9 and I0. These latter sections are formed by slitting the usual side flap, for a purpose which will presently appear.

The carton is made up in the instant case from a single piece of cardboard died out and bent to form, the lines of bending of the various elements with reference to each other being indented as indicated for instance at l throughout the structure, to facilitate and define the lines of flexure of the parts, without breakage.

The box in the drawing is designed to have packed therein say 12 piston rings of a given size, as for instance, 3 +.010 -Compression. The legend 12 is imprinted upon the box in line with the intermediate flap section 9 and that portion 'of the side 4 upon which the number 12 appears is slit upon the horizontal lines 12 and I3 and two vertical lines l4 and. I4, separated at their proximate ends by a section M which is an integral portion of the side. This arrangement produces, in effect, a tongue denoted generallyby l5, which may be freed from its connection with the box side by breaking the section I4 Upon removal of any number less than twelve of the rings from the box, the vendor or user will turn the flap section 9 outwardly, bending the same upon the indented line I l, breaking the section M with his finger-nail.

The section 9 is made longer than the distance between the vertical line of bend I I and the cuts l4 and M, which, when broken, form a continuous line and define the outer end of the tongue I5; henc when this section is turned outwardly and over upon the box side 4, its end may be projected into the box upon a slight depression of the tongue 55 and interlocked with the side, as best shown in Fig. 2. This will cover the index 12 and if eight rings have been removed, the user will mark the numeral 4 upon the then exposed surface of the flap section 9 so that it will indicate clearly that the box contains four rings and no more. The marking will, of course, be in accordance with the number of units withdrawn from the package and may be readily changed if occasion should require this to be done at a later time, by crossing out or erasing the number, say 4, and substituting the proper number in its place. The presence-of the tongue l5 facilitates the introduction of the flap section into the folded position, shown in. Fig. 2,. over the indicial2.

Ordinarily, the outside of the box iscolored? and. is, therefore, in contrast with the normal color of the inner face of the blank. It follows, therefore,, that when the flap is. turned outwardly over the side, there will be a marked contrast between the coloration of the flap and the side, which would, in and of itself, indicate to the vendor or salesman that the contents of the box had been broken.

The inward projection of the flap section 9. is not such as to interfere with the withdrawal of subsequent. ringsor ring sets, and as a matter of fact, they may be readily removed from the opposite end of the box without disturbing either the tongue or the flap sectionin the least.

It is manifest that the flap section 9' forms an integral portion of the box as does the tongue l5, and that both may be formed at the same time the blank is stamped or cut out.. While it is preferred to use the tongue l5, as it facilitates the ease of projection of the free end of the section 9 into locking engagement with theside of the box,.it is not essential that the tongue [5 be employed nor that the end flap be slit.

Thus, in Fig. 3, there is shown .a portion of'a box, the side whereof is formed with aslot so positioned with reference to the end flap 9 as to readily receive its end when it is turned outwardly and over against the side of the box. The slot inthis instance is denoted by I6 and the ends thereof will preferably be enlarged as at I1, which will facilitate the entrance of the end flap. Moreover, the flap is, of substantially the full width of the box end,. orv of a widthas is usual in such cartons or boxes as they are produced today.

The slot or opening l6 may be continuous, as shown or discontinuous, this latter by interrupt' ing its length by an easily broken portion of the box side,.the same as l l (Fig. 1).. a

In. Fig.. 4, a still further, modification of the box is. shown, in that a single vertical. slit as I8 is. formed in: the side of the box, designed to cooperate. withthe free end of a flap or flap section 9 aswill be readily appreciated from the foregoing description.

The term side, as employed herein and in the claims, denotes any portion of the box, unless by the terminology of the claim, such in.- terpretation is precluded.

So, also, the term flap as used is designed to cover any portion which is susceptible of being outturned and secured over indicia, and the invention, therefore, is not to be limited to one in which there are three sections, 8, 9 and [0, constituting one of the end flaps.

Other forms will readily suggest themselves and naturally fall within the scope of this invention- What is claimed is:

1. A box or carton having a flap integral therewith and indicia on a portion of the box adjacent thereto to denote the content of the box, said portion likewise having means to hold the flap over the. indicia when the flap is turned outwardl'y' over the same.

2. A box or carton having a flap secured to the box at one end thereof and indicia on the side of the box adjacent said flap to denote the content of the box, said side having an opening, formed therethrough to receive and. hold the end of the flap when the same is turned outwardly over the indicia.

3. A box or carton having a flap and. indicia on a portion. of the box adjacent thereto to denote the content of the box, said portion likewise having. a. tongue formed therein, said tongue projecting away from the flap and designed when the flap is turned outwardly over the indicia to permit the ready insertion of the flap in part at least, with the end of such part projecting. inwardly beneath the body of the box portion bearing the. indicia.

4;. A box or carton having afiap integral therewith and. indicia on a portion of the box. adjacent thereto. to denote the. content of the box,.sald portion having. an elongated. opening formed therein and. located. from the. end of the. box a distance less than thelength of the flap. and. into which. opening the end of the flap may be projected when. the same is turned outwardly over the indicia tocover the same.

5.. A structure as setv forth. in claim 4, wherein the opening is discontinuous by leaving a portion of. the side intact.

6. Abox or carton. having at least one side flap adapted to.- be' projected across the end of the box, said. box. having upon its side adjacent the flap indicia denoting the content of the box when. packed; and said side likewise having a tongue. formedtherein extending away from the end of thebox the flap. being divided into a plurality of. sections, one of which stands in alignmentv with the tongue in the side of the box and of. a length. greater than the distance between the end. of. the. box and the end of the tongue so that it, the flap, may be. introduced through the opening in the box side at the end of the tongue and positioned, in. part at least, inwardly of the inner face of the box side when said flap is turned outwardly the tongue depressed and the endof the flap. projected inwardly of the box, whereby the indicia may be covered.

7.. A structure asset forth in claim 6, wherein the-indicia appear uponthe tongue.

THOMAS LATIMER FORD. 

